Surgical multiple puncture devices



April 23, 1963 w. GROOM 3,086,530

SURGICAL MULTIPLE PUNCTURE DEVICES Filed Dec. 7, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR yaw BY M ATTORNEY April 23, 1963 w. GROOM SURGICAL MULTIPLEPUNCTURE DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 7, 1959 FIG.3

INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent SURGICAL MULTIPLE PUNCTUREDEVICES Walter Groom, Colindale, England, assignor to Allen &

Hanburys Limited, London, England, a company of Great Britain Filed Dec.7, 1959, Ser. No. 857,679 Claims priority, application Great BritainDec. 10, 1958 1 Claim. (Cl. 128329) This invention relates to a surgicalmultiple puncture device, that is to say a device which can be used topuncture the skin of a patient in a number of places in a singleoperation.

The invention provides an improved such device comprising a body whichis open at one end, a needle carrier block longitudinally slidable inthe body, a plurality of needles for puncturing the skin of a patient,the said needles being removably secured in the block with their Workingends protruding from the block and the open end of the body, means fordisplacing the block and the needles carried by it in a working strokein which the needles can puncture the skin of a patient, and means foradjustably limiting the depth which the needles can penetrate the skinof a patient.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional elevation of an embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of part of the device illustrated in FIGURE1, and

FIGURE 3 is a section on line A-A of FIGURE 2.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a surgical multiplepuncture device, which is particularly useful as a tuberculin scarifier,comprises a cylindrical body or barrel 1 which has an open end formedwith an inturned flange or rim 2 and is closed at the other end by aplug 3 which is screwed in the body 1 and can be removed to give accessto the interior of the body. The plug supports a finger grip 4 as wellas closing the end of the body.

A cylindrical needle carrier block 5 has a sliding fit inside the body 1and has one end portion of smaller diameter than the remainder of theblock so that this smaller portion can be made to protrude from the openend of the body 1 by suitable longitudinal movement of the carrierblock, such movement being limited by the engagement of the rim 2 at theopen end of the body 1 with the larger portion of the carrier block 5.The carrier block 5 has a plurality of longitudinal passages 6. A needle7 of length greater than the carrier block 5 is located in each of thesepassages 6 with its sharp or working end protruding from the block andthe open end of the body 1. The needles have cylindrical heads 8 whichfit on the inner surface of the block 5 to prevent movement of theneedles relative to the block in the outward direction. The needles 7are held against inward movement relative to the block 5 by the head ofa needleretaining screw 9 which screws into the block.

Alternatively, the passages 6 can have countersunk recessed inner endsand the needles 7 can have frustoconical heads located in their recessesso as to be flush with the inner end face of the block.

Sleeve 12 is rotatably positioned on the outer surface of thecylindrical body 1, and a helical slot 13 as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 isformed through the wall of the body. The larger portion of the needlecarrier block 5 has a radial bore 10 formed therein. A screw pin 11 isthreaded into a suitable threaded aperture in sleeve 12 and extendsradially inwardly through the helical slot in the body, and the innerend of the screw pin fits loosely within the bore 10 of the carrierblock 5. Accordingly,

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rotation of sleeve 12 with respect to body 1 will cause the sleeve tomove longitudinally with respect to the body, and at the same timecarrier block 5 will turn with the sleeve due to the interconnectionbetween the sleeve and the carrier block through the pin 11.

A guide plate 14 is positioned outwards of the open end of the body 1and is adapted to be placed on the skin of a patient. This guide plate14 is provided with a plurality of holes 15 at least equal in number tothe number of needles 7 and so positioned that the working ends of theneedles 7 can pass through them into the skin of the patient. The guideplate is supported by arms 16 fixed to the rotatable sleeve 12 so thatrotation of the sleeve alters the longitudinal and angular positions ofthe guide plate with respect to the body. A second screw pin 17 ismounted in the sleeve 12 opposite the pin 11 and is movable in a helicalslot 18 in the body 1. A return plunger 19 fixed to the guide plate 14and loaded by a spring 20 is movable in an axial bore in the carrierblock 5 and urges the carrier block in the inward direction.

The amount by which the needles can penetrate the skin depends on theposition of the guide plate 14 relative to the body 1 at thecommencement of the operation and this in turn depends on the angularposition of the sleeve 12 on the body. Means can be provided forpositively locating the sleeve in any one of a number of desiredpositions. For example, a spring-loaded pin carried by the sleeve canengage in any one of a number of recesses in the body. An operatingmechanism indicated generally by reference numeral 21 is provided forurging the carrier block and needle 7 outward in a Working stroke. Thisoperating mechanism includes a striker rod 22 which engages the head ofretaining screw 9. It will be understood that the operating mechanismmay be of any typical conventional and well-known construction and doesnot form a part of the present invention. After the working stroke hasbeen completed, the needle carrier block is returned to its initialposition under the influence of spring 20.

When utilizing the device, the sleeve 12 is rotatably adjusted withrespect to body 1, whereby pins 11 and 17 moving in the respective slots13- and 18 will cause the sleeve 12 to be shifted axially with respectto body 1. Sleeve 12 carries the guide plate '14 through theintermediary of arms 16 whereby longitudinal shifting of the sleeve willcause the guide plate 14 to be shifted axially with respect to body 1.The amount of axial shifting of guide plate 14 will serve to adjust theamount of penetration of the needles into the skin of a patient. Assleeve 12 is rotated to obtain such axial adjustment, the carrier block5 is also rotated in unison with sleeve 12 through the intermediary ofpin 11, pin 11 in its associated slot 10 allowing relative movement ofthe pin with respect to the block. Since the carrier block and theneedles are rotated along with sleeve 12 and guide plate 14, thisensures that the needles will always be aligned with the slots in theguide plate so that the needles may freely pass through the guide plateto penetrate the skin of a patient.

What I claim is:

A surgical multiple puncture device comprising a substantiallycylindrical hollow body having an inturned flange at one thereof, saidflange defining a central opening at said end of the body, a removableplug secured in the opposite end of said body, a substantiallycylindrigal needle carrier block slidably fitted Within said body andhaving an enlarged portion which is of greater diameter than the centralopening in said one end of the body and including a smaller portionwhich is movable through said open end of the body, movement of saidblock in an outward direction being limited by engagement of theenlarged portion of the block with said inturned flange on the body,said block having a plurality of passages extending longitudinallytherethrough, needles positioned within said passages with the sharpWorking end of the needles protruding from the block and the open end ofthe body, said needles each having an enlarged head formed thereon ofgreater diameter than the passages in said block for limiting outwardmovement of the needles relative to the block, needle retaining screwmeans detachably secured to said block and engaging said enlarged headsof the needles for limiting inward movement of the needles relative tothe block, said needle retaining screw means being positioned forengagement with said plug, said body having a helical slot formedtherethrough, a sleeve rotatably positioned about said body, pin meansoperatively connected with said sleeve and extending through saidhelical slot in the body, said block having a radially extending borewhich receives the inner end of said pin means whereby rotation of saidsleeve also produces rotation of said block, guide plate meanspositioned outwardly of the open end of the body, said guide plate meanshaving a plurality of holes formed therethrough at least equal in numberto the number of needles supported by said block and so positioned thatthe Working end of the needles can pass through the holes in the guideplate, said guide plate being supported by said rotatable sleeve so thatrotation of the sleeve alters not only the angular and longitudinalposition of the sleeve, but also the angular and longitudinal positionof the guide plate with respect to the body, and resilient means forurging said block continuously in an inward direction so as to retractsaid needles, and means for moving said block and said needles outwardlyin a working stroke in which said needles can puncture the skin of thepatient.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS

